Showing posts with label wayne gretzky. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wayne gretzky. Show all posts

Friday, December 3, 2010

The Wayne Gretzky Assist Leader Award



I had an idea a while back in April about creating an Assist Leader award and to call it the Wayne Gretzky award.

After getting all too excited that this may take off (I do that a lot), it didn't go like I had hoped at all. I went to some of the local press for help/questions with this and was told by most that I was wasting my time. One had said that the NHL has considered renaming a trophy after Gretzky anyways, so this isn't a new concept.

Well... I'm not talking about renaming an existing trophy like the Hart or the Art Ross as that MSM suggested. I'm talking about making a brand new trophy all together. One that makes sense for today's NHL.

I truly believe the NHL needs an assist leader trophy for the guys that get unrecognized. Those players matter and arguably, if there wasn't an assist, there would never be many goals.

It's hard to argue who the best goal scorer is. Howe? Lemieux? Hull? Gretzky? It's hard to argue who's the greatest player of all time. Same 4 guys plus Orr? But it sure isn't hard to figure out who the greatest passer was. That's clearly, Wayne Gretzky. Hands down.

He owns the NHL record of 1,962 career assists (including playoffs, he has a total of 2,222 assists). He has the highest assists per regular season game percentage with 1.321 per game. (1,962 assists in 1,485 games). In 1985/86, Gretzky had an NHL record 163 assists in one season (he had 11 more assists in the playoffs that year too). In 1990/91 he made the record for most consecutive assists with 48 assists in 23 straight games. To this day no other player has beaten that streak. He's tied with Billy Taylor for most assists in one single game with 7 assists. That 7 assist game happened in his first NHL season. Gretzky has a league best 270 playoff assists. There is at least another dozen or so assist records that Gretzky can call his own that I am not listing here. He's the assist king. You can't argue that.

He owns multiple records (see above). He's had his number 99 retired league wide. He was labeled the Great One. And yet no NHL trophy in his honor?

So you know what? I'm going to "waste my time". I'm going to tell the world that this needs to happen. I believe it's the right thing to do. If you do to, please sign this petition. I don't know if any amount of signatures will do anything to help this, but I'm going to try. Gretzky would never give up. Either should I.


-Written by Smokin' Ray Burnt-

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Can This Version Of The Edmonton Oilers Become The 1983/84 Oilers?

I have been debating for a while now if the Oilers should have more than two rookies in the lineup next season. Most of you know that --before the changes by Tamby to make the team tough-- I have thought that only Hall and Paajarvi would start the year in the NHL and Eberle and Omark would go to the Oklahoma City Barons.  But the more I talk to people about it, there is just so many questions that need to be answered and scenarios to think of.

Would the rookies be better off spending a year in Oklahoma City instead of playing in the NHL? Probably. It's only logical and makes sense.

Would it be a great way to fill the Cox Convention Center and build a fan base by adding players like Eberle and Paajarvi to the opening day roster? You bet it would and that's what the OKC Barons are going to need. You can't just open the doors and expect people to just come watch a game. Names sell.

But you also need to think that since players like Eberle and Paajarvi are signed to a contract, it would essentially burn up a year on their respective deals. Not exactly a good thing right? Hmmmm....

Then you look at the way that Tambellini is building the current Oilers roster. He's added some big boys with the likes of Vandermeer, MacIntyre and Foster to go with a talented and skilled small team. It seems like he's preparing to ice a young rookie squad with large muscle to surround them. The writings on the wall one would think.

But is it the right thing to do? Is it too soon?

So now I have myself thinking about another young Oilers team. The first cup winning team from the 1983/84 season. That team is a fairly young team much like the current one we may possibly have now.

How did that team from the 80's get so good so quick? Well I have a theory.

Gretzky, Coffey, Messier and Anderson were all just a mere 22 years old when they won the first cup. Jari Kurri and Andy Moog were 23, Kevin Lowe and Charlie Huddy were 24. Grant Fuhr was just 20.

The oldest guys on the team were Willy Lidstrom at 32 years old and Jaroslav Pouzar was 31. The only two guys over 30. Wow!

So here we have a team with no real veteran leadership yet, the won the Stanley Cup. How is that possible?

The kids grew together. They played together as rookies. They became friends and won for each other like winners need to do. Isn't this what this current team should do? Should the opening roster include Hall, Eberle, Paajarvi and Omark? You add those four plus the youth of Gagner, Brule, Cogliano, Smid, Chorney, Peckham, & Dubnyk equals the same youthfulness as the Oilers of old. Maybe this squad can grow and learn together like that team did? Maybe this squad is just like that 83/84 team? Take a look, we even have our Pouzar's and Lidstrom's in Horcoff, Strudwick and Khabibulin. The two teams are building to be sort of the same.

But isn't the smart decision to just let the kids develop slowly? In Oklahoma City?

-Written by Smokin' Ray-

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Why Not A Wayne Gretzky Award? Sign The Petition

Since the first time the NHL was formed, there has never been an top assists trophy. They have trophies for just about everything under the sun. Points (yes). Goals (yes), The even have a plus minus trophy of all things. Take a look.

So if the NHL can have a Mark Messier leadership award, why not a Wayne Gretzky Assist Leader Award? Considering what he has done in his career (1,963 assists in the NHL), there is no doubt he should have a trophy named after him. His name is all over the NHL assist record book. There is no one better at passing and assists than Wayne Gretzky.

Now I know this trophy idea thing isn't a fresh idea and I know other people have said it before. But what if we go one step further? What if we had an online petition and we submit it to the NHL and maybe, just maybe they consider it and honor a man that SHOULD be honored?

*drum roll* Well, here you go. Click on the link below and electronically sign the petition. Once we get a ton of signatures, we will submit it to the NHL. This award should be made.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/waynegretzkyaward/


Sunday, February 14, 2010

Hello? Is Anybody There?


Where have we been for the last few days?

Well, between the two late games on Wednesday and Thursday - the Oilers did win one of those games in a dramatic shootout victory - and the opening ceremonies for the 2010 Olympics on Friday and watching the TV all day yesterday. It's been a full schedule with nothing written at Oilers Jambalaya. Sorry. It's been crazy.

But I'm/we're back and it's time to get back on track.

The Edmonton Oilers will be playing tonight at 5:00pm MST and it's a PPV game. Ugh! Pay for a game that lacks any relevance AND it's on Valentines day. Good luck convincing the significant other on watching the game tonight. You better have a good explanation on why it's romantic to watch the Oilers get their collective asses handed to them. I know I have no good reasons, but I'm sure we will watch it anyways. She loves me. I think.

The 2010 Olympics have started and it hasn't been without it's problems. First, in the Luge training runs on Friday, Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvil died while on a practice run. This prompted VANOC to make changes for the safety of the luge riders and for the best interest of the Olympic games that another tragedy doesn't occur.

Next during the opening ceremonies, it seemed like one big ball of strange. Read on for highlights.

THE STRANGE/BAD PARTS
- First the brutal lip syncing by the performers (Bryan Adams, Nelly Furtado).
- Then the weird stuff that VANOC planned was making all of us laugh on twitter (SEE BELOW). Like the Batman playing the fiddle in the moon. This was the East part of the show.
- Or the Peter Pan kid that flew all over the stage during the Prairies part of the show. He made me laugh pretty darn hard. Poor Saskatchewan people. I know your not like that. lol
- The massive fail of the hydraulics that lift the cauldron up. One beam didn't lift up.
- The hooligans that chased Gretzky down were probably freaking the Great One out. Where was the planning and security?
- Seriously... the protesters need to fu*k off. Leave the games alone. You look like teenage dumb-asses.

THE COOL/GOOD PARTS
- The snowboarder that dropped into the Olympic rings and landed it looked impressive. I would imagine it would be tough to do that considering it was fake snow. It looked like plastic.
- I did like the (east) fiddle part of the show. Ashley MacIsaac was awesome.
- At one point when they were showcasing the West, they had orca whales swim across the floor. It was so realistic and they even had the whales blow out as they swam. Very, very cool.  That was my favorite part of the opening ceremonies. (If I was a Canuck fan, I would be asking for that as my intro for the hockey team. How cool would that be?)
- The fat guy with the funny looking beard made a great I AM CANADIAN type speech.
- I liked the choices for the flag bearers; Betty Fox, Bobby Orr, Anne Murray, Jacques Villeneuve, Barbara Ann Scott, Romeo Dallaire, Julie Payette and Donald Sutherland.
- I really enjoyed how they selected the final torch bearers. Great picks; Rick Hansen, Catrina LeMay Doan, Steve Nash, Nancy Greene and Wayne Gretzky. And to top it off, Mr. 99 took the flame to the main cauldron and lit it, on his own.
- The special effects were truly unbelievable.  I could only imagine what they looked like in person.

FAVORITE THINGS PEOPLE SAID DURING OPENING CERIMONIES via TWITTER
- @JayB4 said.. Apparently I missed out on the free 'shrooms they gave out to anyone watching this thing.
- @dchesnokov said.. Did Forsberg make it to where Sweden has to stand without injuring his knee or something?
- @Lord_Bob said.. Well, VANOC, this is what happens when you wait until the last minute to recruit Skytrain station buskers for your opening ceremony.
- @amckie said.. Dear Internets: I have lived in Canada my whole life and I have no effin clue what is happening with these opening ceremonies.
- @TravisDakin said.. I never thought I'd ever see a tap dancer that could kick my ass.
- @LOOUIS said.. I have never been so excited for commercials in my life #winterolympics
- @natemuhly said.. Tonight's safe word is "quatchi"
- @JonJordan said.. "Dad, Dad! I made the Olympics!" "Yeah, son? In hockey? Skiing? Curling?" "No, I'm going to be running in place in Huck Finn pants!"
- @bruce_arthur said.. Little known fact: Peter Pan was apparently born in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan
- @JohnnieOil said.. well I figure six more beers and a few shots of crown royal and I just might understand WTF this has to do with Canada
- @Tennath said.. "Excuse me Sir, but how do you get to Canada?" "Second star to the right and straight on till morning."
- @wyshynski said.. "Please" and "thank you" and "zed" get a pop from the crowd. Canada, I can't love you enough right now.
- @JSBMrevolution said.. Holy shit. They should get this guy to talk to the Oilers before their games. He's pumping me right up.
- @canadasportsguy said.. this guy is awesome...go Canada!!
- @Lord_Bob said.. Vancouver: where the only word of French we know is "bienvenue".
- @OilersJambalaya said.. TO THE REST OF THE WORLD: That's a woman singing. #notkidding #KDLang
- @JSBMrevolution said.. hahaha oh man I thought that was fat Clay Aiken for a second.
- @dantencer said.. I just asked my producer who the male asian singer was. He informed me that it was K.D. Lang.
- @TravisDakin said.. In very glad they stuck with the distance angles. The lip syncing was getting embarrasing.
- @mc79hockey said.. Kd lang and Bryan Adams? What was this, some sort of Expo 86 contingency plan?
- @JonJordan said.. Scary Spice is Canadian?
- @tricksnard said.. I wonder if they added "without drugs" for our snowboard team?
- @HockeyCanada said.. Our own Hayley Wickenheiser pulls off athlete's oath like an ace ... Well done! We r all so proud!
- @elliottbaseball said.. They couldn't find a figure skating judge to take the judge's oath?
- @vojha said.. Hard to get more Canadian than Wayne Gretzky. He bleeds Maple Syrup and Poops Timbits.
- @OilersJambalaya said.. #EPICFAIL
- @TravisDakin said.. And that's embarrassing.
- @JSBMrevolutionsaid.. Oh I see, they ALL lit it. Except Catorina Lemay Doan. I bet she feels just awesome right now.
- @JSBMrevolution said.. Shouldn't Gretzky be riding in the back of a Ford?
- @keltieneville said.. What's more Canadian than hitching a ride in the back of a pick up?
- @oilerslove said.. well, that was a great 3 hour build up to a fail.
- @redteamleader said.. Opening ceremonies were better on Twitter than CTV

THE BEST ADVICE I HEARD IN A WHILE

@PaulinaGretzky said.. "You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take" - my dad my hero #waynegretzky .. goodnight everyone xoxo

Monday, March 2, 2009

Hold On... Hear Me Out! #1


Hello everyone. This is another fine segment by Smokin' Ray Burnt. I like to call it "Hold On... Hear Me Out!" This is a place for me to talk about something that maybe a little off the normal path that most Oiler fans walk. Sometimes I may be right. Sometimes not so right. Sometimes you may just shut your computer off and swear off the Internet. Either way... it's entertaining. Right?


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After the Oiler game on Saturday, I sat around with my buddy Whitey and we were talking hockey. (shocking?) We started to talk about Ales Hemsky. (or Alex Hempsky if Marc Crawford is saying it) We came to a consensus that Hemmer may never be that elusive #1 guy on the team. Well not a Stanley Cup contending team anyways. It was decided that Hemmer just may be the best "wing man" in the league. If he had a pure shooter to play with on a regular basis he would pile up the points. "No kidding", your probably thinking. I personally think Hemsky is the cats ass (JIB CUTTER). He just may never be in the Ovechkin or Crosby echelon that most fans are hoping for.


Now say for example, the Oilers acquire Kovalchuk. Ilya would be the #1 guy here. But Hemsky would be the best wing man ever. The two would easily account for 2 goals per game. You see it on every team. There is never just one guy. Well... none of the successful teams I should say. For every Gretzky there is a Kurri. Kurri was one heck of a wing man. Would he have the same career with out that #1 guy? Probably not.


I came to the realization watching the Tampa Bay game, that the Oilers 1st line isn't equally matched at all. To any team. Except New York Islanders I suppose. And we wonder why we are always fighting for 8th.


So what am I rambling about? Ales Hemsky will be a really great player in the NHL. He just needs a #1 guy to play with. He's the Kurri. Not the Gretzky.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Welcome to the Oilers Jambalaya


Hello everyone and welcome.

My name is Smokin' Ray Burnt. I am a musician (more on that later) and a avid Oilers fan. I am 31 years old and I have been a fan of the Oilers since I was 7 years old. (1984 for those who don't want to do the math) Why the Oilers? Not sure why. But I do know how.

I had a relative who was trying to break into the league with the Philly Flyers back in the mid 80's(he managed 20 something games and then blew his knee out) and something (CBC) must have drawn me to the blue and orange. (incidentally my two favorite colors) My dad always liked hockey. He would listen to the Canucks games on the radio in the car. So I grew to like it too. I just remember watching the 1984/85 playoffs with him and falling in love with this magical team. This Oiler team. They were fast and tough. They were smart and lethal. Everyone was mystified by Gretzky. But Messier was my favorite player. Semenko was a close second. And wow... Paul Coffey. Grant Fuhr. Gretzky. Kurri. It was great. I was spoiled and didn't even know it.

So that was that. I am a very loyal guy (ask Pepsi) and that was my team for now on. Forever. It was a little harsh sometimes being a fan because I grew up in B.C. No one could understand why I wasn't a nucks fan. For one, they suck! Two, I don't care. My old man cheers for them but not I. The razing went from bad to worse in the mid 90's. (I think most people can remember) But I didn't care. They were my team and I kept up hope.

By the late 90's I had moved my way up to the awesome city of Edmonton and the hardworking province of Alberta. I ended up living 4 blocks away from Northlands. (I miss that name) It was awesome to be at the games and experience the "air" around a playoff game. That's right... I paid the $1 and beat the hell out of the Colorado Avalanche car with a sledgehammer in front of the Skyreach Center. That was fun. And I seen Mark Sholtz and that fatter dude from breakfast television play with their band outside of the arena. Bad ass is what that is. jk It was even better because the games that I couldn't afford to go to I would rush home as the game was about to begin and turn on the game with the mute on and listen to the live crowd. Playoff crowds are freaking awesome in Edmonton. So I would be on my couch and cheer with the crowd I heard coming through my window.

Then the great mighty run of the modern era. I'll tell you one thing. I almost cried the day they announced the Peca/Pronger signings. It felt like my hope and patience for the past 16 some odd years was finally paying off. And it almost did. Game 7 almost. I cried then... Then I was spitting mad a few days later. (still am...) I couldn't understand why anyone would want to go? 1 game from a championship and you want to give that all away for "greener pastures"? Bull crap I say. But life goes on and here we are at present day.

I've seen a lot as a regular everyday normal fan. I have opinions just like the next guy. Am I right sometimes? Hope so. Am I wrong sometimes? Most likely. But who cares. I am passionate about this team. I am their #1 fan. (like 18,000 others) I just hope I can bring another side of things out. If it's game day then I will be at http://www.oilernation.com/ Oh damn good fun there.

So....

Thank you for stopping by and I hope I can entertain you. Or at least waste your time.

Smokin' Ray Burnt

You can check my profile to visit my music site.

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